The Specific Relief Act, 1963, with amendments in 2018, outlines procedures for the enforcement of civil rights and the granting of specific reliefs through its three parts and 44 sections. Key provisions include rules on dispossession of immovable property, specific performance of contracts, and remedies available for breach of contract, with significant emphasis on the non-granting of injunctions regarding infrastructure projects. The act also covers contractual obligations, declaratory decrees, temporary and perpetual injunctions, as well as provisions for rectification and rescission of contracts.

1. The Specific Relief Act, 1963The Specific Relief Act, 1963
with Amendments of 2018.with Amendments of 2018.

2. INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

The Act consists of Three Parts and Eight
Chapters.

Altogether there are 44 sections, but the Act ends
at section 42 as section 43 and section 44 are
repealed.

Part I is Preliminary which consists of definitions.
{Sections 1 to 4}

Part II is about Specific Reliefs regarding

3. PRELIMINARYPRELIMINARY

Some important definitions are:-

“Obligation”includes every duty enforceable by
law.

The terms as defined in Indian Contract Act,
1872 are to be assigned.

Specific Relief can be granted only for enforcing
Civil rights and nor for enforcing penal law.

4. Suit by person dispossessed of immovableSuit by person dispossessed of immovable
property.property.

Section 6:-

If any person is dispossessed from the
immovable property without his consent and
otherwise than in due course of law.

A person through whom he has been in possession orA person through whom he has been in possession or
any personany person claiming through him can file a suit for
possession.

In such suit title of immovable property is

5. Contracts which can be specificallyContracts which can be specifically
enforced.enforced.

Section 10:-

The specific performance of a contract shall be
enforced by the Court subject to the provisions
contained in sub section (2) of section 11,
section 14 and section 16.

This section is recently Amended.

Earlier two conditions about non existence of
standard to ascertain actual damage caused

6. Specific performance of part of contract.Specific performance of part of contract.

Section 12:-

Generally, the Court does not direct the specific
performance of a part of contract.

Exception 1:- Unperformed part is small portion
of whole contract, the Court may direct specific
performance of major part and award
compensation in money for deficiency of small
part.

7. Contracts which cannot be specificallyContracts which cannot be specifically
enforced.enforced.

Section 14:-

Where a party to the contract has obtained
substituted performance of contract in
accordance with the provisions of section 20..

A contract, the performance of which involves
the performance of a continuous duty which the
court cannot supervise.

A contract which is so dependent on the

8. Assistance of expert.Assistance of expert.

Section 14A:-

Where Court considers it necessary to get
expert opinion to assist any specific issue, it
may engage one or more experts.

Court may direct such expert to report it and
may secure his attendance for providing
evidence including production of documents.

Court may direct any person to give

9. Who may obtain specific performance.Who may obtain specific performance.

Section 15:-

Any party to contract, their representatives in interest or the principal. {except
of personal skills & quality}

Contract is settlement of marriage or between same family members, any
person beneficially entitled thereunder.

Contract by tenant for life, the remainder-man.

A reversioner in possession.

A reversioner in remainder.

Amalgamated limited liability partnership firm.Amalgamated limited liability partnership firm.

Amalgamated new company.

The Company.

10. Who cannot obtain specific
performance.

Section 16:-

Who has obtained substituteWho has obtained substitute
performance of contract underperformance of contract under
section 20.section 20.

Has become incapable of performing,

11. Against whom specific performance can be
enforced.
Section 19:

either party thereto;

any other person claiming under him by a title arising
subsequently to the contract, except a transferee for value
who has paid his money in good faith and without notice of
the original contract;

any person claiming under a title which, though prior to the
contract and known to the plaintiff, might have been
displaced by the defendant;

Amalgamated limited liability partnership firm.Amalgamated limited liability partnership firm.

New Company.New Company.

The Promoters of CompanyThe Promoters of Company

12. Substitute Performance of Contract

Where the contract is broken due to non-
performance of promise by any party,

the party who suffers by such breach shall have
the option of substituted performance

recover the expenses and other costs actually
incurred, spent or suffered by him,from the party
committing such breach.
This is recently amended new section.

13. Substitute Performance of Contract

No substituted performance of contract unless
notice in writing, of not less than thirty days, to
the party in breach calling upon him to perform
the contract within such time as specified in the
notice;

On refusal or failure to do so, he may get the
same performed by a third party or by his own
agency;

Provided that the party who suffers such
breach shall not be entitled to recover the
expenses and costs unless he has got the

14. INFRASTRUCTURE
PROJECTS
Section 20A : No injunction shall be granted by a
court in a suit involving a contract relating to an
infrastructure project specified in the Schedule,
where granting injunction would cause
impediment or delay in the progress or
completion of such infrastructure project.
Section 20B : One or more Civil Courts as Special
Courts to exercise jurisdiction and to try a suit in
respect of contracts relating to infrastructure
projects.
Section 20C : A suit filed under the provisions of

15. COMPENSATION
Section 21:

In a suit for specific performance of a contract,
the plaintiff may also claim compensation for its
breach [in addition to] such performance.

If, in any such suit, the court decides that
specific performance ought not to be granted, but
that there is a contract between the parties
which has been broken by the defendant, and
that the plaintiff is entitled to compensation for
that breach, it shall award him such
compensation accordingly.


16. ADDITIONAL RELIEFS
Section 22 : Any person suing for the specific
performance of a contract for the transfer of
immovable property may, in an appropriate
case, ask for,

possession, or partition and separate
possession, of the property in addition to such
performance; or

any other relief to which he may be entitled,
including the refund of any earnest money or
deposit paid.
Section 24 : Bar of suit for compensation for

17. RECTIFICATION OF
INSTRUMENTS
Section 26:

When, through fraud or a mutual mistake of the
parties a contract or other instrument in writing
does not express their real intention the parties to suit
may ask for rectification of contract or legal
representatives may file suit for rectification.

In any suit court finds that the instrument,
through fraud or mistake, does not express the
real intention of the parties, the court may direct
rectification of the instrument.

18. RESCISSION OF CONTRACTS
Section 27 : Any person interested in a contract
may sue to have it rescinded court in any of the
following cases, namely:

Where the contract is voidable or terminable by
the plaintiff;

Where the contract is unlawful for causes not
apparent on its face and the defendant is more
to blame than the plaintiff;

19. RESCIND OF CONTRACT WHEN
REFUSE
The court may refuse to rescind the contract:-

where the plaintiff has expressly or impliedly
ratified the contract; or

where, owing to the change of circumstances
which has taken place since the making of the
contract (not being due to any act of the
defendant himself), the parties cannot be
substantially restored to the position in which
they stood when the contract was made; or

where third parties have, during the
subsistence of the contract, acquired rights in

20. CANCELLATION OF
INSTRUMENTS
Section 31 :- Any person against whom a written
instrument is void or voidable, and who has
reasonable apprehension that such instrument,
if left outstanding may cause him serious injury,
may sue to have it adjudged void or voidable;
and the court may, in its discretion, so adjudge it
and order it to be delivered up and canceled.
Section 32 :- Where an instrument is evidence of
different rights or different obligations, the court
may, in a proper case, cancel it in part and allow
it to stand for the residue.

21. DECLARATORY DECREES
Section 34 :- Any person entitled to any legal
character, or to any right as to any property,
may institute a suit against any person denying,
or interested to deny, his title to such character
or right, and the court may in its discretion make
therein a declaration that he is so entitled, and
the plaintiff need not in such suit ask for any
further relief:
Section 35 :- Effect of declaration.
A declaration made under this Chapter is binding
only on the parties to the suit, persons claiming

22. INJUNCTIONS GENERALLY
Section 37: Temporary injunctions are such as
are to continue until a specific time, or until the
further order of the court, and they maybe
granted at any stage of a suit, and are regulated
by the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908.
A perpetual injunction can only be granted by the
decree made at the hearing and upon the merits
of the suit;

23. PERPETUAL INJUNCTIONS
Section 38: A perpetual injunction may be granted
to the plaintiff to prevent the breach of an
obligation existing in his favour, whether
expressly or by implication.
When the defendant invades or threatens to
invade the plaintiff’s right to, or enjoyment of,
property, the court may grant a perpetual
injunction in the following cases, namely:

where the defendant is trustee of the property
for the plaintiff;

where there exists no standard for

24. MANDATORY INJUNCTIONS
Section 39 :- When, to prevent the breach of an
obligation, it is necessary to compel the
performance of certain acts which the court is
capable of enforcing, the court may in its
discretion grant an injunction to prevent the
breach complained of, and also to compel
performance of the requisite acts.
Section 40 :- The Plaintiff can claim damages in
lieu of, or in addition to, injunction.

25. INJUNCTION WHEN REFUSED
Section 41:- An injunction cannot be granted,

to restrain any person from prosecuting a
judicial proceeding pending at the institution of
the suit in which the injunction is sought, unless
such restraint is necessary to prevent a
multiplicity of proceedings;

to restrain any person from instituting or
prosecuting any proceeding in a court not sub-
ordinate to that from which the injunction is
sought;

to restrain any person from applying to any

26. INJUNCTION WHEN REFUSED
An injunction cannot be granted,

to prevent a continuing breach in which the
plaintiff has acquiesced;

when equally efficacious relief can certainly be
obtained by any other usual mode of
proceeding except in case of breach of trust;

if it would impede or delay the progress or completion of
any infrastructure project or interfere with the
continued provision of relevant facility related thereto
or services being the subject matter of such project.
( New Amendment);

27. MAHESH LONE